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| Illustration of cybercrime [Shutterstock]. |
Cyber experts issued a warning ahead of Christmas which is predicted to see a surge in digital fraud (scammers).
The perpetrators of cyber crime and hackers (hackers) prey on your shopping habits.
Facebook has billions of users worldwide and makes it a prime target for online criminals.
Several cyber experts reveal how to stay safe on Facebook this Christmas.
"Our number one tip to stay safe when using Facebook on this Christmas is to check which application from another company that you use to sign in to Facebook," said Jamie Ahktar, in Cybersmart CEO, told the page of The Sun , Sunday (05/12/2021 ).
According to him, although most of these apps are official, they are often used by cybercriminals to hack into your account or steal data.
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| Illustration of data theft personal . [Shutterstock] |
The good news is, he adds, it's a very simple fix that shouldn't take more than a few minutes.
"Just go to the privacy settings in your account and delete your 'off-Facebook history'," says Jamie.
Doing this once every six months or so is a simple, but effective way to increase your online security.
Many hackers and scammers will try to impersonate the people closest to you.
It's an easy way to earn cash from in apps like Facebook, without even having to hijack your account.
"Find messages allegedly from friends or family ask for donations, loans, and possibly other financial problems," Chris Hauk, a champion of consumer privacy at the Privacy Pixel, told The Sun .
He also advises, never click on ads in your Facebook feed.
"This is a popular method among scammers to take your money and credit card info," he said.
Ultimately, one of the best ways to stay safe is to secure your account with a strong password.
Don't reuse passwords across websites and never choose short or simple passwords.
Added, passwords are a risk for most people, especially when reused across various websites.
"Cybercriminals know that if they get one password, it's likely to work elsewhere, so they work hard to trick people into giving it up," he explains.
Cyber expert Sam Curry adds that dIn the short term, consumers should protect themselves with strong passwords and also enable two-factor authentication.
"Resetting a password is always a good security measure, and you'd be surprised how many people today still use passwords 123456 or ABCDEF," explains Cybereason's chief security officer.
He cautioned, laziness is not an excuse as hackers prey on these and their greatest assets are patience and time.
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